Huawei: No Dual-OS Phone Planned

A dual-OS super phone might not actually happen, despite Huawei hinting to the contrary. Earlier statements from a Huawei executive suggested the company was very much interested in developing a dual-OS phone, intimating that such a device would equate to mobile nirvana. Instead of making consumers choose one or the other, Huawei could cater to the feverish and large Android user base while also introducing users to Windows Phone.

But in a new statement, Huawei said the company is open to support all mobile operating systems, just not when they’re running on the same device. The company confirms there are no plans for a dual-OS phone in the future. That probably means we’ll never see one, especially since both Google and Microsoft are opposed to co-existing on the same device. A dual-OS phone sounds exciting on paper, but in practice? It wouldn’t make much business sense for either company, which is why there’s been alleged pressure for companies to ignore the possibility.

A Huawei executive previously said that the company was investigating Android and Windows Phone together on the same device.

“If it is Windows only, maybe people will not find it as easy a decision to buy the phone,” said Huawei CMO Shao Yang. “If they have Android and Windows together, you can change it as you wish and it is much easier for people to choose Windows Phone.” Yang went on to even indicate that a dual-OS phone would be out in the U.S. during Q2. Well, not anymore. In the time Yang made his comments this past February, Huawei said its focus has changed away from the dual-OS paradise.

Is a dual-OS device something consumers even desire? Maybe. As it is, data suggests that it’s pretty clear buyers around the world prefer Android. Sure, there might be some interest in Windows Phone hardware, but a bigger audience still has yet to gravitate to the Windows Phone environment. A dual-OS phone would definitely push those numbers up, but customers for now will have to make due with just Android, or Windows Phone, or iOS.